CALS Office Works With Business, Industry to Improve Employment Skills in Youth

Preparing Arizona students to excel in highly skilled professions is critical to the future of our nation.

From engineering sciences and aircraft mechanics to nursing, agribusiness and bioscience, developing a competitive workforce is essential in rebuilding our floundering economy.

At the epicenter of a statewide effort to strengthen career and technical education is the University of Arizona College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Through grant funding from the Arizona Department of Education, the college's Department of Agricultural Education is partnering with industry, policymakers, educators and students to bolster Arizona's workforce.

"The panacea to our economic woes is human capital," said Robert Torres, head of the Department of Agricultural Education.

"As we look for solutions to our economic challenges, it's about gainful employment – not only getting a job but having the employability skills needed to keep that job," Torres continued.

Creating cutting-edge curriculum and building employment skills among high school and community college students in career and technical education programs – while fulfilling legislative directives – is the mission of UA's Workforce Education Development Office, or WEDO, administered through the UA Department of Agricultural Education.

"The essence of this project is really to help prepare the next generations of the workforce through career and technical education, whether they are launching their careers after high school or going on to college," Torres said.